This volume, devoted to clandestine air operations in occupied France, shows their incredible upsurge in the second half of the Second World War. The entry into the war of the United States and the contribution of its enormous industrial potential, coupled with the operations carried out from North Africa, changed the situation considerably.
The genesis of the arming of the maquis, in particular during the massive parachute drops of the night of March 10 to 11, 1944, is approached from a new angle, renewed by access to unpublished documentary resources in France and abroad. More than 150 photographs, many of which are still unknown, highlight these men and women in the shadows.
Beyond the precise and detailed elements on equipment and operations, it is the human and personal journeys that are highlighted. The flow of operations is shown from the point of view of airmen and ground crews; Finally, the memories of Jack Risler reveal the astonishing story that linked the paratroopers of the US Marines Corps to the special agents of the OSS in their fight against Nazi barbarism.
The author
Son of a resistance fighter, Jean-Louis Perquin had a military career in airborne troops and mountain troops. His family background and his job naturally led him to carry out research on clandestine operations linked to the Liberation. He then distinguished himself by the publication of articles and works noticed on this shadow war waged by the Allied special agents parachuted into occupied France.
Thanks to his personal documentation and above all to the exchanges in confidence with the veterans as well as the proximity with many curators of museums throughout Europe, he is now a recognized specialist with regard to the clandestine operations carried out by the Allied special services. during the Liberation.
